Informing the Legislature that on June 24, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: HB2094 HD1 SD1 CD1 (ACT 126).

2026 Regular Session

Jury duty pay rises to $50 per day plus the higher of 33 cents per mile or adult bus fare for travel, funded by a 2026-2027 appropriation.

Received.

#act126

Summary of Bill GM 1227 (HB 2094, CD1) – Hawaii, 2026

Purpose and intent

The bill relates to jury duty and establishes updated compensation for jurors and prospective jurors, as well as an associated appropriation to fund the changes.

It takes effect July 1, 2026.

Key provisions and changes

Jury duty compensation (Section 612-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes):

The daily payment to jurors or prospective jurors for actual attendance increases to $50 per day.
In addition to the daily attendance pay, jurors must receive the greater of:
33 cents per mile for each mile actually and necessarily traveled to and from court; or
The cost of an adult bus fare to and from the court.
If a person appears for jury duty as summoned, they may be paid the mileage fee or bus fare even if they are later excused or exempted from serving, upon request.

Funding and appropriation (Section 2):

The bill appropriates $684,385 (or as much as necessary) from the general revenues of Hawaii for fiscal year 2026-2027 to implement the act.
The appropriation is to be expended by the judiciary for the purposes of this act.

Effective date (Section 4):

The act takes effect on July 1, 2026.

Statutory changes (Section 3):

The bill includes standard language for updating statutory material (repeal and enact as appropriate), with changes highlighted as underscored in the bill’s text.

Who is affected

Jurors and prospective jurors in Hawaii, who will receive higher daily compensation for serving and associated travel reimbursement.

The Judiciary as the agency responsible for administering juror payments and overseeing the implementation of the new allowances.

State taxpayers and general revenues via the specified appropriation to fund the increases.

Procedural and timeline details

The Governor signed the bill into law on June 24, 2026 (Act 126).

The act becomes effective starting July 1, 2026.

The action history indicates the bill progressed through the Legislature in May 2026 and was subsequently enacted and signed.

Potential impact

Improved financial support for individuals serving on juries, potentially incentivizing participation and reducing financial barriers to serving.

Increased operational cost for the judiciary, funded by the specified appropriation from general revenue.

Travel reimbursement requires actual mileage calculation or bus fare, with the higher of the two used as the travel component.

If you’d like, I can provide a plain-language Q&A summary or compare these changes to prior jury duty compensation rules.